Homers Odyssey - Randalstown Season 2025.
Secretary John Millar tops Randalstown -
Secretary John Millar has kindly supplied me with a list of the season’s winners, very well done to all lofts.
John Millar won – Cotter Trophy Highest Prize-winners. Old Bird 1st & 2nd Roscrea, 1st Dale, 1st Penzance. Shwa Cup 1st Dale, Penzance Cup 1st Penzance OB, J Boyd Cup Best Average 4 c cross channel races, Mr & Mrs R Magill Shield Most Points in Old Birds, McKay Trophy Young Bird Best Ace 1st & 2nd Kilbeggan and 1st Fermoy.
Highest prize-winner and Secretary of Randalstown John Millar winner of three old bird races including Penzance, and young bird Fermoy.
Stewart Bros won – Old Birds 185 Points, 1st Kilbeggan, 1st Roscrea, 1st Fermoy, John Kyle Cup, Inland Average, J Millar Shield Best Ave 2rd & 4th Races, INFC Yearling Nat Cup, Champion Old Bird joint winners with W & W Gilbert. Young Birds. 1st Kilbeggan, 1st Roscrea, 1st Cloughmartin.
Stewart Bros won 6x1sts flying to lofts at The Grange.
W & W Gilbert won – BOCM Cup Skibbereen, Castledawson Cup Dale, S & V Millar Cup Bude, P Mardon Cup, Lowest Winning Velocity, G Kisick Cup Best Ave Bude & Penzance. Old Birds 1st Dale, 1st Bude, 1st Dunmanway.
The W & W Gilbert partnership won old bird races from Dale and Bude.
J McNeill & Son won – G Lunch Shield, Jas McKeown Cup, Friendship Nat Cup. Young Birds 1st Corin, 1st Dale and Champion Young Bird.
J McNeill & Son were well placed, in the INFC Friendship Nat and won the Premier YB Nat from Dale in South Wales.
Noel Percy & Son – Sam McComb Trophy, W J Bell Cup, Young Bird Average, Adair Sgield Best Ave 2 x NIPA YB Nationals and Most Points in Young Birds.
Noel Percy & Son won the opening young bird race from Kilbeggan.
Smylie Bros won – 1st Club Grenagh.
Smylie Bros won the old bird race from Grenagh.
Old Bird winners
Kilbeggan - Stewart Bros 1stm 2nd and 3rd Vel 1246
1st Roscrea – Stewart Bros 1st, 2nd and3rd Vel 1776 (15th MAC)
2nd Roscrea - J Millar Vel 1228 Stewart Bros 1st, 2nd and 3rd Vel 1735
1st Fermoy - Stewart Bros 1st, 2nd and 3rd Vel 1735 (18th MC)
Grenagh – Smylie Bros Vel 1312 (15th MAC)
Dunmanway Inl Nat – W & W Gilbert 1st & 3nd Vel 1524 (20th NAC)
1st Dale – J Millar 1st, 2nd and 3rd Vel 1496 (21st MAC)
2nd Dale – W & W Gilbert Vel 1308
Bude – W & W Gilbert Vel 1384 (5th MAC)
Penzance – J Millar Vel 1357 (17th MAC)
Young Bird winners
1st Kilbeggan – N Percy & Son Vel 1388
2nd Kilbeggan – Stewart Bros 1st and 2nd Vel 1425
1st Roscrea – Stewart Bros Vel 1541
Cloughmartin – Stewart Bros Vel 1330
Fermoy – J Millar Vel 1207
Corrin – J McNeill & Son 1st, 2nd and 3rd Vel 1611
Dale YB Nat – J McNeill & Son Vel 1349 (7th MAC)
Grenagh 0 J McNeill & Son 1st and 2nd Vel 1349 .
What a fantastic gesture today for Kings Cup winner Johnny Murtagh calling with Aidan McAteer to See Tommy Mooney Snr with cup and winning hen. Many thanks’ men it’s greatly appreciated by the family.
East Antrim Nat winners in the NIPA (r)Arnold Thompson Ballyclare 1st Open Plougastel Old Bird (France) and Norman Lewis from Doagh 1st Open Dale Young Bird (South Wales).
The Devine Memorial Trophy for Best 2 Bird Ave Plogadtel was won by G & C Topley of Laurelvale.
Another big season for Owen Markey of Ballyholland included winning the OB 5 Bird Championship from Corrin.
S & J Bones and Trevor Yates from Muckamore HPS won the S Calvert Cup for 1st Open NIPA Fermoy Old Bird.
Mid Antrim Combine INFC Friendship National Plougastel 9th July 2025, Liberated 9.00am 225/1256
Best in the Mid Antrim Combine was Jimmy Smyth & Son of Ahoghill timing on the second morning to win 1st Mid Antrim Combine, 34th North Section & 59th Open INFC National. Jimmy has a top record in the National races the past few seasons with 5th & 6th Open INFC Penzance YB National and 8th Open INFC Friendship National.
Anthony McNeill of Randalstown was next best with two birds timed at 7.25am & 7.26am to win 2nd & 3rd Mid Antrim Combine, 42nd, 43rd North Section and 68th & 69th Open. First bird a mealy hen was bred by Geoff Dickey and is off a son of Buster 1st Open NIPA Mullingar when paired to a sister of Buster. Second bird was off a cock on loan from Geoff paired to a daughter of Roy Magill's Kings Cup winner.
Mid Antrim Combine - J Smyth & Son Ahoghill 839, J. McNeill & Son Randalstown 813, J McNeill & Son Randalstown 812, J Smyth & Son Ahoghill 671, A Darragh Cullybackey 609, J Smyth & Son Ahoghill 583, J Smyth & Son Ahoghill 533, S & N Doherty Cullybackey 523, W Livingstone Ahoghill 492, J Smyth & Son Ahoghill.
The RPRA Irish Region AGM will be held on the 7th February at 1pm in the Ballymac Hotel, Stoneyford. All correspondence re any proposals etc to be with the Secretary Noel Higginson on or before the 10th January 2026.
Noel Higginson , 8 Abercorn Square, Ballyclare, BT39 9FJ. 07518748717.
HOMER. Willie Reynolds
Tel/Fax: (028) 256 44683
Mobile: 07538 238364
Twitter: willie reynolds@homerbhw>
Email:
www.irishnationalflyingclub.com
